Embodiments of this disclosure relate generally to air-conditioning ducts, and more particularly, to systems and methods of filtering air through air-conditioning ducts accessible from below the ceiling rather than from the roof or through the ceiling.
Air conditioning systems operate at the optimum efficiency when the air circulating through the system has no dust or debris. Conventionally, air conditioning systems use air filtration systems to eliminate dust and debris from the circulating air. While the air filtration is effective at removing dust and debris from the air, the filter used in the system must be replaced frequently for the air filtration system to remain effective at collecting debris. Infrequent replacement of the filter adversely affects the efficiency of the air conditioning system because either the air would not be filtered effectively, or the formation of excess debris on the filters (clogged filters) would reduce air flow through the air conditioning system, effectively reducing the capacity of the air conditioning system and effectively requiring the system to work beyond its capacity to circulate the design air flow through the polluted filter. Moreover, it is determined that existence of debris in the circulating air can reduce the efficiency of the air conditioning system up to 20 percent or more, and hence increasing power consumption and decreasing performance.
Although advances in filtration technology have led to better collection of debris, in order to maintain the performance of the air conditioning systems at the optimum level, the filters must be replaced on a routine basis or predetermined periods. Because the filters are being used to filter both of outside air and returning air of an air-conditioned dwelling, commercial space, or institutional space, these filters tend to get covered by debris (build up) very often, and hence undermine the performance of the air conditioning unit or system. However, it is often difficult to replace the air filters for the majority of the air conditioning units or systems. The majority of air conditioning units or systems include rooftop units and fan coil units, split packaged indoor sections, and water source heat pumps. These units are not simply accessible because they are either placed over the roof, or between the roof and the ceiling. The poor placement of these units or systems requires users to climb a ladder over the roof, or enter up to the waist through the ceiling to replace the air-conditioning system's filter.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the above problems. The system and method would provide an easily accessible filtration system. The easily accessible filtration system would permit a user to change the filter of the air conditioning unit without having to go over the roof, or through the ceiling.